Dr. Johnson as a critic of Shakespeare

Johnson's “Preface to Shakespeare”, an everlasting contribution to English literary criticism, displays his assessment of Shakespeare in an unprejudiced manner. Johnson exposes Shakespeare under the light of neo-classical taste, and he does this satisfactorily though in some instances he is not fully justified. The preface opens with a tribute to Shakespeare's enduring appeal, which Johnson considers an acknowledged test of eminence. “Nothing can please many, and please long, but just representation of general nature”.